Your Feedback Requested: Future Balance Updates

Update:Lots of good feedback, below I will post modified change lists in direct response to the feedback. Please note that the USAS-12, F2000, IRNV, Flashlights, and several other issues are not in this list. That does not mean they are not being balanced, this list is NOT exhaustive.

Fixed semi automatic weapons "jamming" between shots, lowered the max rate of fires of semi automatic weapons to balance the bug fix.Reduced the recoil of the SKS rifle and slightly decreased its rate of fire to balance the smoother semiauto fix. SKS damage changes: Max damage range reduced from 15 to 12m, minimum damage range increased to 60m from 50m.Increased the damage the MBT's primary weapon does to other main battle tanks, this change primarily affects front armor.

Battlefield 3 multiplayer is deep and diverse, with tons of tactics and factors that can determine the outcome of a match. At DICE we strive to ensure that the game remains Balanced and fresh by monitoring the game and the community’s feedback and providing Balance updates. We know the wait for Balance updates can be killer, and that occasionally we may make a Balance change in an update that is controversial. Rather than waiting until we launch these updates for feedback, today I would like to give you, the Community, a peak into the Balance testing that we are doing here at DICE.

It’s important to note:• This list is provided as a way for the Community to give us feedback on potential Balance changes to the game.• This list is specifically focused on Balance changes. Feature requests and bug fixes are purposefully absent from this list.• There is no guarantee that any of these Balance changes will make it into a future update at all, nor is this list a guarantee that there will be future updates.

Now that the lawyers are happy… bring on the feedback!

Alan “Demize99” KertzCore Gameplay Designer, Battlefield 3

Vehicles:Increased the locking distance for Jets when locking on laser designated targets.Increased the damage the MBT's primary weapon does to other main battle tanks.AA Missiles should no longer kill the pilot instead of the vehicle.Tank rounds will now instantly destroy Jets, Attack Helicopters, and Scout Helicopters.Using flares too early will no longer distract missiles fired at long range. The missile must be approaching the vehicle in order to reliably be distracted by flares.Attack Helicopter Guided Rockets will now only track ground targets, as originally intended.Reduced the direct damage done by helicopter gunners vs armor.Slightly increased the blast radius of the rounds fired by helicopter gunners vs infantry.Vehicle weapons should now suppress correctly.Increased the direct hit damage of the APFSDS rounds for the IFVs.Miniguns and Helicopter Gunners now more quickly destroy parked cars.

Weapons:Significantly increased the damage of Laser Guided Top Attack missiles.Javelin missiles fired without laser targeting now do more damage to the side and rear of MBTs.Slightly reduced the repair speed of the repair tool.Fixed a problem when locking on to two nearby targets, the locking should no longer jump rapidly between multiple targets.Reduced the total number of RPG and SMAW missiles carried from 5 to 4.Slightly reduced the locking time of all weapons vs Laser Designated targets.Slightly reduced the effective blast radius of the RPG and SMAW projectiles against infantry.Reduced the recoil of the SKS rifle and slightly increased its power at close range.Semiautomatic sniper rifles, Assault Rifles, and LMGs now have more consistent damage over long range.Increased the close range damage maximum range of 9x39mm ammo.

Soldiers:Increased the spawn protection time from 1sec to 2sec. The protection will still be immediately canceled as soon as the player moves or shoots.Spawn protection will no longer be canceled by the player looking around.Slightly increased the speed at which a player can shoot again after sprinting.

Glad to see some support for the Javelin, overall the list looks good.

---Would like to see adjustments made to LMGs when hip firing on the move, like in BC2. Right now their ROF competes with other weapons that should be superior at close ranges. ---For assault rifles, the issue with the F2000 is it's high ROF vs other guns. I'm ok with the ROF because it's a F2000... And it should beat an AK-74M at close range. But as it is now, it beats AK-74M at all ranges. Either give low ROF rifles high damage or low recoil to balance this, highlighting their role as long range weapons. Or give high ROF rifles a large amount of recoil, making it only viable in CQC.---No decreased recoil on silencers. There is no penalty for equipping this attachment other then decreased bullet speed, which is hardly a concern when firing 800 RPM weapons.. As of now silencers are too prevalent and offer the best enhancement in comparison to other attachments. Leave its weapon bonuses to decreasing noise, and not showing up on radar.---IRNV adjustments, making moving targets emit less of a visual signature then stationary ones (or give them a trail that makes it hard to discern moving targets). I feel as though this would help specialize the use of the thermal vision, to acquire targets that are camping as opposed to an all around vision enhancement.---Want to see something to help out the pump 870MCS as well, its vastly overshadowed by its full auto shotty counterparts. It needs a range boost i believe, most importantly with Slugs.

If realism is the archetypes for the assault rifle guns...

@Warrior_JJoe D.@Demize99 Can you explain why the AK-74M has the same damage as the M16A3, but lower ROF, higher recoil and slow bullet symthic.dy.fi/?s=bf3

---Can we also add an in game visual model when attempting to plant a radio beacon? Similar to most other gadgets?? Sometimes its hard to tell when the action will fail or not given the terrain, and time is wasted trying to find a suitable spot to deploy it.

Tank rounds will now instantly destroy Jets, Attack Helicopters, and Scout Helicopters. <- What about a way to avoid guided shells? After locked and fired, does the air vehicle has any options to avoid the impact??

If frag shells are ever to be nerfed. Buff the slugs on automatic shotguns. At the moment the auto slugs do less damage over time than basic pistols. Buff them closer to the pump slugs damage and range.

Replace ONE of the AH-6J little birds with a UH-1Y Venom transport helicopter. I understand the US side is at a bit of a disadvantage having to come in from the transport carrier... But two little birds is really overpowering. The Russian Z-11W stands no chance when at this point everyone has heat-seekers, and you only have one set of flares that take a long time to reload.